Editor’s Note: The below contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1.

The Big Picture

Andrew Lincoln remains as good as ever as Rick Grimes, infusing the character with a dynamic intensity.
The series is a more risky installment in the franchise, promising a more mature entry moving forward.
There are still plenty of secrets surrounding the CRM and Rick’s mission that create intense drama.

The Walking Dead is a franchise that, ironically, refuses to die. The flagship series, based on the graphic novels of the same name by creator Robert Kirkman, might have ended rather unceremoniously in 2022, but the universe continues to expand in bold and exciting ways. We could never have predicted that Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) would be teaming up with Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and we definitely didn’t think Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) would literally wash ashore in France and befriend ass-kicking nuns. But even more intriguing — and riskier — than those recent endeavors is The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, a series that reunites us with the man who started it all: Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes.

Rick Grimes Initially Left ‘The Walking Dead’ in Season 9

Rick Grimes’ departure in Season 9 was the unofficial ending of The Walking Dead. It was hard to take the show seriously from that point on or care about a lot of the characters in the overstuffed cast. The show smartly didn’t kill Rick off, leaving the door open for that slight chance he’d return somehow. That return, though, would require a lot of explaining. Everyone assumes he died in that bridge explosion, but the audience knows he was whisked away in a helicopter by Anne/Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), an old foe.

The pilot of this latest spin-off takes its time explaining what Rick’s been up to, but it never feels like a drag. We’re thrust into the world via Rick’s ominous narration, which we quickly find out is taken from a letter he’s writing to Michonne (Danai Gurira) explaining everything he’s been through in order to stay alive for her. “I tried,” Rick’s voiceover says as his eyes well up. He’s alone in a bare apartment, with a TV showing the aftermath of an explosion. It’s clear that Rick has run out of hope, even going as far as slicing his neck with a shard of glass before he realizes finishing the job would be a mistake. We’ve seen Rick descend into despair and hopelessness numerous times, but something about this seems particularly grim.

Rick Grimes Needs a Hand (Literally) in ‘The Ones Who Live’ Episode 1
Image via AMC

We temporarily leave present-day Rick to go back to five years after the bridge explosion. Rick’s in the woods at night (wearing the same CRM jacket he had on in The Walking Dead series finale) on another mission that is pushing him that much closer to achieving Civic Republic citizenship. Rick is the only one, however, tethered to a CRM soldier as he makes his way through the woods hacking away at walkers who are caught on fire.

The CRM soldier yanks Rick back when he gets a little too far, but instead of obeying orders and not pressing his luck, Rick makes one heck of a decision: he chops off his hand to free himself from the shackles. (Though a one-handed Rick is something comic book fans have been used to since the days of the Governor.) It’s quite jarring watching our favorite former sheriff make such an intense, permanent action so impulsively and so soon in the episode, but it’s an excellent way to convey just how desperate Rick is. It also injects the series with a rush of adrenaline, something that the flagship series ran out of after the bridge explosion in Season 9.

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Perhaps even bolder than the hand-chopping is how a significant portion of the pilot takes the form of a rom-com. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Not only is this a very smart way to get our two protagonists back together early in the episode, but it also serves as a creative way to show how much Rick yearns for Michonne. There have been moments of romance in The Walking Dead world before, but not quite like this.

In his dream, Rick is a man in a world not yet ravaged by an apocalypse. It’s almost eerie how idyllic it seems. He’s lost his way and asks a stranger (who is actually Michonne) for help reading his map. Both are beaming as they have their “meet cute” moment, which is actually one big metaphor: Rick is literally lost in his dream and emotionally lost in his unnerving reality. It isn’t until he’s with his dream version of Michonne (a businesswoman on her lunch break) that he feels safe. Gurira and Lincoln are at the top of their game here, as they flirt and charm each other and show a side of these two beloved characters we haven’t had a chance to see, which serves as a welcome respite throughout such a gritty episode.

The CRM Has Many Rules in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Image via AMC

Exposition-heavy narration by Rick quickly gets us up to speed on what really happened after the bridge explosion. He woke up in a military hospital after having been found by an army whose job is to protect a fully functioning city with hundreds of thousands of people. “Security and secrecy above all” is their shady yet effective code. The Civic Republic governs itself separately from the military and the people they rescue work as consignees in the “outskirts,” killing walkers for energy and managing waste.

After doing six years of this labor, someone can be integrated into the city and live a “normal” life. Donald Okafor (Craig Tate), who oversees the consignees, tells Rick to surrender to the system instead of making yet another futile escape attempt. Even though Rick has never been one to hide his emotions, Okafor wants him in his army. Rick’s friend Esteban (Frankie Quinones), thrilled to be done with his consignee tenure, gives Rick the idea to join the army and then try to make a run for it once he’s gained Okafor’s trust from within. He ends up doing exactly that and is surprised to see Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt), a fellow rebel consignee, has also joined the training. Rick’s got a fake fist and a real plan to kick some ass from within.

Why is this no-nonsense Okafor dude keeping Rick around if all he does is act like the CRM’s version of Bender from The Breakfast Club? Okafor explains that Rick and Thorne are what the CRM calls As, which are basically those who aren’t afraid to fight against injustice and bump up against authority (Thorne once tried to kill Okafor). He’s decided to keep them alive, even though they usually just keep the Bs, which are those that more willingly obey authority, around. Okafor wants Rick to help him essentially overthrow the way things are currently run. Rick goes along with the plan (for now), but underneath Rick’s steadfast loyalty is a fierce swagger that Lincoln wields like an ax.

Rick Is Buried Under the CRM’s Secrets in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’

The three circles that seem to be the CRM’s logo represent the alliance it has with Portland and Omaha, both of which know nothing about the Civic Republic. Major General Beal (Terry O’Quinn), one of the CRM’s respected higher-ups you might recall from The World Beyond, is skeptical of Rick’s true intentions and relationship with Okafor, but Rick does his best to maintain his front. Rick doesn’t have any interest in “moving up” within CRM. He just wants his wife.

Rick’s able to get Esteban to tell him where a certain pothole leads underground, and while on a resource run, he tries to make a run for it. Thorne, however, reminds him that Okafor knows more about him than he thinks. Rick sneaks into Okafor’s room while he sleeps, leading us into an impressive two-hander (er, one-hander in Rick’s case) between them. Rick is, as we’ve seen him time and time again when face-to-face with a foe, pushed to the edge.

It’s hard to stay emotionally invested in situations like these that feel all too familiar and predictable. This conversation, however, similar to Rick in the entire episode, is saddled with a different, darker energy. We hear Grimes drop an F-bomb (his first!?) and he doesn’t waste his time trying to compromise, something that was routinely dragged out in the flagship series. Okafor does indeed know about Michonne and Judith, which only fuels Rick’s rage. Okafor, thankfully, doesn’t come across as a mustache-twirling villain. He brings a calm intensity that challenges Rick’s, which elicits complex performances from both actors.

Once Again, Rick Is Everyone’s Last Hope in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Image via AMC

On TV, it’s announced that Omaha was bombed, and the CRM is now an alliance of two. What exactly happened is unclear (was this Okafor’s doing?), but Thorne tries to convince Rick that he must stay with the CRM if he wants to live. Just like in The Walking Dead’s pilot, he’s what the world needs. She throws a glass against the wall, which creates the shards Rick uses in the opening scene to cut his neck. We’re back where we started.

After deciding not to end his life, Rick writes one final letter to Michonne “just to feel something,” even though he knows it’ll likely never get to her. In an attempt to move forward, he burns everything he found that Michonne had left behind. The dream version of Rick decides to wait for Michonne with a pizza and asks if she wants to share it with him. Michonne says that even though they aren’t where they want to be, together, they can do anything. They share a kiss, but Rick’s dream morphs into a nightmare when everything goes up in flames before he wakes up.

Now, in the present, Rick flies a helicopter with Okafor as his co-pilot and recounts a story from growing up about a sacrifice his father made for his family. It’s interrupted when the helicopter gets shot down, with Okafor getting a bullet to the chest and exploding due to the pressure. Rick manages to land the helicopter and make it out alive, but barely, narrowly avoiding bullets. Explosions surround Rick, who’s tackled and held at… katana point? His helmet is ripped off by Michonne, who has the same armor we saw her wearing in the series finale. Upon the reveal, the two lock eyes, overcome with both joy and disbelief, leaving us with just the right amount of intrigue we need to hold us over until next week.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live airs Sundays on AMC at 9 PM EST and is available on AMC+.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live REVIEWThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live brings back the iconic duo of Rick and Michonne for what is shaping up to be a bold new chapter in the vast zombie franchise. ProsAndrew Lincoln doesn’t miss a beat as Rick Grimes, infusing the character with a dynamic intensity.The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is a more mature installment in Robert Kirkman’s franchise.The pilot takes creative risks, dedicating significant time to exploring the softer sides of Rick and Michonne and having Rick decide to chop off his hand early on. ConsThere are some elements that are hard to remain invested in as they feel all too familiar and predictable for The Walking Dead.

Watch on AMC+